The Trust of Green Sapphires
by Artemisdesari
Summary: Kili's general smugness at Fili's moment of truly incredible levels of irresponsibility lasts about a week. Which is as long as it takes his mother to find enough dwarrowdams to serve as Tir's Shomakhalinh day and night. They answer to Dis, and only Dis, and so the number of opportunities to be alone with Tir for any amount of time have dwindled to none. Soul Stones part 10


Kili's general smugness at Fili's moment of truly incredible levels of irresponsibility lasts about a week. Which is as long as it takes his mother to find enough dwarrowdams to serve as Tir's **Shomakhalinh** day and night. They answer to Dis, and _only_ Dis, and so the number of opportunities to be alone with Tir for any amount of time have dwindled to none. This has rendered Kili more frustrated than he recalls _ever_ having been.

He just hopes that his mother will relax a little after Fili's wedding in a week. Kili obviously knows how to be careful better than Fili does, and Mahal doesn't have the same level of interest in Kili as He does in his brother. That should keep the younger prince relatively safe from meddling Valar.

He casts a quick glance at Marik, the guard assigned to him for this trip to Dale. A year and a half ago Kili could have moved through this part of the world freely and anonymously. Now he has to have at least one guard with him whenever he ventures out of the mountain and he loathes it. They interfere with his hunting, with his patrols, with his trips to the market in Dale with Tir because even if they manage to lose _one_ guard in the crowd somehow the other _always_ manages to stay close. He's actually reached the point where even something as simple as a kiss feels like an impossible dream.

He'd ask Tir to marry him, beg Thorin to say they had been courting in secret in Ered Luin, if he thought it might make his mother relax her guard a little. That wouldn't be fair on _Tir_, however, after everything his ignorance has put her through she deserves a proper courtship. Which is part of why they are in Dale rather than Erebor for this particular excursion. The dwarves of Erebor are long accustomed to seeing their princes and the 'dams they are courting wandering the public places there, those that are open at any rate. Being seen while courting, according to his mother, is especially important, and that includes being seen by their neighbours and allies. It is a sign of stability and growth, especially when Tir's lineage and status are taken into account. If Dis wants to believe that's why Kili brings Tir to Dale once every couple of weeks that is up to _her_. As far as Kili is concerned Dale is just an easier place to slip away from the guards and **Shomakhalinh **to steal a few of those kisses that they both miss so much.

Today, however, Sari and Freya are proving unusually tenacious and Marik is beginning to remind Kili of a bloodhound. At the rate things are going he is going to end up begging his mother for just ten minutes alone with Tir and that's a mildly terrifying thought.

He is so busy trying to think of ways to get Tir alone that he doesn't notice someone pass in front of him until he knocks straight into them. He gives them a very hasty apology, eager to get back to his companion, when he looks up and sees a face that he has not laid eyes on in a year.

"Tauriel!" He exclaims, a smile splitting his features.

He has often wondered how it would feel to see the elleth again now that his mind and heart have become more settled. He's surprised to realise that there is no sense of longing or regret, not even a vague curiosity about what might have been. There is only a distant sort of relief that she is alive and apparently well.

"Hello, Kili," her smile is no less wide.

"What are you doing here?" He asks. "Not that it isn't good to see you, I'm just surprised it's so soon. Is the wide world not to your liking?"

"Very much so," Tauriel says, "though I made it only as far as Lothlorien. I have never before had the occasion to visit the Golden Wood and the Lord and Lady have been most welcoming."

"If you're staying for a while I will have to find the time to hear about it," he replies, eyes turning to search the crowd for Tir. They are near the cloth merchant's stall where he left her so that he could visit the tanner and he is surprised that she hasn't spotted him yet. "Why did you leave?"

"I heard the princes of Erebor were getting married," Tauriel's answer is guarded, "I came to see what truth there was to it."

"Oh, that," Kili shrugs, spotting Tir and waving her over. There is a clearly defensive set to her shoulders and Freya's mouth is set into a hard line. Freya was in the mountain after the battle, Kili remembers, and she must have recognised Tauriel. "It's only Fili," he continues as Tir approaches, "next week. Certain circumstances have made it a little more urgent."

Tir scowls at him and he reaches his hand out to take hers, placing a kiss on the back of it even though Sari clears her throat meaningfully. His people don't, as a rule, use any gestures that _other_ races might view as affectionate so publicly. Which might be why the other races assume dwarves are all as hard as the stone they are carved from. His goal, however, is to make Tir relax and from the way her posture softens slightly he has been successful.

Tauriel's face, on the other hand, twists in a way that makes him vaguely uncomfortable.

"So, you are _not_ getting married?" She asks, green eyes fixed on Kili and Tir's joined hands.

"Not yet," Kili says, wondering if maybe he had assumed too little on her side. "But in time, I hope." He turns his eyes to Tir who is watching Tauriel warily. It's strange to see one usually so trusting regarding another with suspicion. "Did you find what you were looking for, **Ûrzudel**?" He asks her.

Tir looks almost startled when he addresses her, and she turns wide green eyes on him. He knows that he shouldn't be using Khuzdul outside of the mountain, the feeling of her **Shomakhalinh** glaring at the back of his head is enough to remind him of that. He also knows that Tir has long feared the way that he will react upon seeing Tauriel again. She has worried that a year of restrictions and duties within Erebor will make a wanderlust much more likely to be ignited upon seeing the elf again. She fears that she will not be able to satisfy him in that way. As mischievous as she can be, Tir is still a creature of duty.

"No, **Bâhzundushuh**," She smiles and one of their companions lets out an irritated huff. They expect that kind of thing from Kili, but Tir is supposed to be above it as far as they are concerned. Kili knows better and he grins down at her.

"You should come to the wedding," he says to Tauriel and sees Tir's face fall. "No one would mind, and I doubt anyone would notice or worry about an extra guest."

"They might," Tir cuts in before Tauriel can reply, "given she's an elf and won't be part of Lord Thranduil's party. We'd hate for there to be any misunderstandings."

Which is a fair point. They had _all_ been surprised when the elf king had accepted the invitation that had been sent more out of courtesy than any real desire to have him there. Apparently, Thranduil _likes_ Fili and it would give him great pleasure to witness him wed a deserving lady. Kili dreads to think what might have been said if it had been _his_ wedding. Thranduil likes Fili well enough but Kili is viewed with some distaste. Tauriel's defection has caused the elf king more problems than he likely wants to admit.

"No," Tauriel says, "I would not wish to cause you any difficulties. You could still come with me," she offers then and Tir tenses once more. "Come and see Lothlorien, then perhaps we could go on to Rohan together. We could wander the world free of restrictions and responsibility." She looks at Tir as she says it and Kili frowns. Does she think his affections for Tir are false or forced? The result of a demand from his mother and Thorin?

"Thank you," he stays polite but tightens his grip on Tir all the same, feeling her about to pull away. "But I'm happy with how things are now. I have everything I want here."

Tauriel stares at him for a long moment and he begins to truly wonder whether he assumed that she felt _less_ than she did when they parted ways a year ago. He had been so focused on his own confused feelings that he had failed to account for hers and now he has to wonder if that is why she had rushed back upon hearing that the princes of Erebor were both getting married, to try and persuade him to leave with her. The dejected look on her face makes him suspect that he might be right, and he wonders how he could have missed how deeply she felt for him when he does not, and cannot, feel the same way.

"Will you be in Dale long?" Tir asks her, breaking the awkward silence.

"No," Tauriel glances at her. "It would seem that there is nothing to keep me here, now."

"Oh," Kili can't help the disappointment in his voice, "I'd hoped you would stay long enough to tell me about Lothlorien at least." There is another moment of silence and once again Tir is the one who breaks it.

"If your friend feels she needs to leave soon, why not spend some time with her now," she offers and Kili doesn't bother to hide his surprise. Tir insists, however, and tells him that she is ready to go back to the mountain anyway.

Reassured that she doesn't mind Kili goes to a nearby tavern with Tauriel and spends the afternoon listening to her tell him about the wonders of Lothlorien while he nurses a single pint of substandard ale. Once, he thinks, he might have enjoyed seeing the place. Now, however, he knows that he would not have been happy there and will not be happy to spend the rest of the years of his life wandering the world. He knows the feeling of the mountain over his head, now, he knows the sense of home that it brings and wonders how he managed to live so much of his life _without_ it. He certainly wouldn't have been content to spend a year in Lothlorien among elves. He likes Tauriel well enough but every now and then her voice slips and he hears that same infuriating superiority enter her tone as he so often hears from the others of her kind. Living eternally must do that to person he supposes.

By the end of the afternoon he is more certain than he has ever been that he had made the right choice to remain in Erebor and take the path that Mahal had created for him. He hasn't had any real doubts since Tauriel left and most of it had been curiosity. There is none of that now and he is glad that he was able to take the afternoon to lay it all to rest, for _both_ of them.

"You are truly happy?" Tauriel asks when he takes his leave.

"I am," he grins. "Tir was always my best friend and the thought of courting her had crossed my mind more than once, even before I found out that she is my One."

"Then I am happy for you," Tauriel replies, though her tone is sad, and she looks anything but. "I hope you have a long and happy future together."

"I hope you find what you're looking for," Kili tells her. "Be careful out there."

Kili and Marik, who has remained close by all afternoon, do not speak on their way into the mountain, there is no need for it. Kili knows that his guard disapproves and will very likely report the events of the afternoon to Dwalin who will have it all passed on to Thorin. If Nori's network of spies hasn't done that already.

"**Amad**'s furious," Fili says as soon as they cross paths. Marik has already left but Kili knows that news of his encounter with Tauriel must have reached Dis by other means.

"Tauriel?" Kili asks.

"What were you thinking?" Fili replies. "You know how quickly rumours get started."

"Is Tir alright?" He asks, his first thought being that she will have already heard all manner of outlandish rumours.

"Better than you're going to be when **Amad** and Thorin get their hands on you," Fili smirks. It must be nice for his brother to not be the focus of their ire for a while. "If I were you, I would find Tir and make it completely clear where the two of you stand with each other. With witnesses if you can manage it."

That actually sounds like a remarkably good idea, and Kili grins at his brother before hurrying off to Tir's chambers so that he can follow that useful bit of advice. When she opens the door she smiles widely at him, as though she hadn't expected him back so soon and this is the best surprise he could have given her. Sari rolls her eyes and shakes her head before shoving him through the open door.

"You have ten minutes," she mutters, and Kili lets out a delighted laugh.

"Why?" He asks Tir as soon as the door closes.

"Because you proved me right," Tir replies. "Sari and Freya insisted that you would spend all afternoon with your elf, return long after nightfall and decide to run off with her after all. I said you wouldn't. They owe me ten minutes of privacy with you for winning."

"You _bet_ on it?" Kili asks almost incredulously.

"Is that a problem?" She breathes before leaning in to kiss him with a passion that he has missed.

"If this is the prize?" He smirks. "You'll need to do it more often."

* * *

_**A.N: Butchered Khuzdul:  
Shomakhalinh: Guard Lady, Chaperone  
Ûrzudel: Sun of suns  
Bâhzundushuh: My Raven (apparently I have a thing for Kili being called a raven as a term of endearment)**_

_**This didn't go quite as angsty as I thought it would. Tir is apparently more seccure than I realised she was. This really is the last you will see of me for ten days or so. House move time. I will reply to comments (seriously people, I adore the comments) but I can do that off my phone. Writing 2.5k on the damn thing is a little bit harder.  
**_


End file.
